Raising funds for the charities 'Getting You Back To Work' scheme

A small team of staff from The Poppy Factory in Richmond, Surrey are warming up to take part in the 2013 Doitforcharity.com Santa Run on Sunday 8 December in Victoria Park, London.

The seven Santas from The Poppy Factory have passed a rigorous test to ensure they have the required attributes to be Santa and know how to have fun on the run, without the help of Rudolph and the other reindeer. They are being joined by other supporting organisations haysmacIntyre and QVC to make up a team of 30 Santas, all running to raise funds for The Poppy Factory’s work to help disabled veterans back into work.

Clementine Westlake, pictured left from Putney, Chief Elf aka Fundraising Assistant, has been organising the team of Santas from the factory floor and some of The Poppy Factory’s supporting organisations.

Clementine said: “I will be there to accompany the team throughout the 5k route. We are over the moon that the chaps working in the factory want to help us raise funds for our Getting You Back To Work scheme.”

The Santa Run requires each entrant to dress in a Santa costume and run a 5 or 10km course..

Widely known and recognised for making the iconic poppy at its factory in Richmond, providing work for disabled veterans since 1922 and for disabled dependents, in recent years The Poppy Factory has extended its remit to help wounded, injured and sick ex-Service men and women find meaningful and sustainable employment in the communities where they live around the UK.
With the vision that ’no disabled veteran who wants to work should be out of work’, the seven Santas are putting down their poppies, polishing their boots, growing their beards, donning Santa suits and seeking sponsors to help them on their quest. Tony Laywood and Chris McVeigh both served in the Armed Forces and are joined by Stephen Ward and Forbes George, who have all worked in The Poppy Factory making poppies, crosses and wreaths for The Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal. On Sunday, however, they are fundraising for The Poppy Factory’s employability service.

In 2013, The Poppy Factory helped 140 disabled veterans into meaningful employment. The employees at The Poppy Factory in Richmond made 12 million poppies, 1 million remembrance crosses and 96,000 wreaths for The Royal British Legion



Santa's in training in the wharehouse

December 4, 2013